INDIANAPOLIS – The name on the press box as you walk toward Scecina's baseball field reads "Larry R. Neidlinger Memorial Field."

Being able to work on this field is special for Crusaders coach Dave Gandolph.

He graduated from Scecina in 1968 and played for Neidlinger, who spent 32 of his 33 years in teaching at Scecina. In 1967 — the first year of the state tournament — Gandolph played in Scecina's first-ever sectional game at Beech Grove. That was Gandolph's first taste of postseason play. It turned out he developed quite a taste for it. A 2008 inductee into the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame, Gandolph has won more than 700 games in his coaching career, including leading Center Grove to four regional titles.

“Anytime you get to this level, it’s unique,” Gandolph said. "Not many people can say they’ve gotten to this level. I was fortunate enough to get to this level at Center Grove, but to this, being my home school where I grew up, it means a lot.”

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Scecina's press box is named in honor of former Crusaders coach Larry R. Neidlinger.(Photo: Joseph Spears/IndyStar)

As if advancing this far isn't unique enough, Scecina is 13-15-1 and the only team remaining in the tournament with a losing record. Prior to last weekend, the Crusaders had won just one regional title (1992).

“I took this job five years ago to try and help some kids reach their potential,” Gandolph said. “We’ve been close the last few years and this year we did something that hasn’t been done since 1992. It’s a tribute to these players because they decided that they just decided that they wanted to get the job done.”

That '92 season ended at semistate, one game shy of the state championship game. This group is looking to break through and keep that winning feeling going.

"That feeling was something else," senior Anthony Mitchell said. "We worked so hard to get to that point and it's something no other team has done in 26 years. To be able to do that with this team was just an amazing feeling."

The road to this point hasn’t been easy and without drama.

The Crusaders pulled off upset wins over No. 4 Heritage Christian (for the sectional title) and then beat No. 3 Union County and No. 7 South Vermillion for the regional championship. Their win over South Vermillion included a final-inning comeback to seal a semistate berth.

"They know they're playing good teams every game now and playing good teams throughout the year, they're used to it," Gandolph said. "It's not overwhelming to them and why we scheduled such tough games. I've been coaching for a long time and we want to take on the best every time we go out there."

Scecina was riding a four-game losing streak heading into tournament play, but was able to flip a switch and play loose.

“Right before the sectional championship started we realized we had nothing to lose really and they (Heritage Christian) had everything to lose,” senior Drew Lowery said. “They were expecting to win and we were the underdogs.”

Against Southridge (24-6), the Crusaders will be underdogs again. It's a role they're comfortable with.